


Your Eyes Were Just Like Medusa's

by Hoshi (Aurora01)



Series: Medusa And The Sun [1]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Beomgyu is a Sweetheart, Boyfriends, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, It's a soft fic overall, Kang Taehyun is Bad at Feelings, Kang Taehyun-Centric, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, They're pining, Unrequited Love, Yeonjun is not in this fic but dw I have more plans for this specific fic in the future, coming out scene, ig? Angst it's not really there, kind of, not beta read at the moment, soon to be ig, strangers to best friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:01:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28091325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurora01/pseuds/Hoshi
Summary: Medusa was narrated as a beautiful woman, who would allure men into her cave and turn them to stone. Taehyun felt petrified as his eyes stared at Beomgyu's dark orbits, and he wondered if best friends were meant to turn to stone too.Or, a collection of memories Taehyun finds dear about his best friend: the boy he fell in love with without realizing it.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun
Series: Medusa And The Sun [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2058000
Comments: 16
Kudos: 119





	Your Eyes Were Just Like Medusa's

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I post a fic of my own but I hope everyone can enjoy!  
> It should've been a simple 4k one shot but it got out of hand lmao

When Taehyun met Beomgyu at the school's canteen for the first time, he didn't give him too much thought. He simply hung around with his friends at their table, enjoying the packed meal his mother prepared him.

Taehyun didn't give him too much thought, even when Beomgyu's loud laughs echoed in the crowded space. He just kept on talking with his best friend Heesun beside him.

Taehyun truly didn't give him too much thought, until he looked up at him, finding his eyes immediately. The other grinned, a show of his calm and sweet nature.

Beomgyu's smile gave him goosebumps, while his big eyes petrified him. He wondered if that's how Medusa preyed on her victims; if she had such a magnetic aura around her just like this older boy did. 

Taehyun in the end decided that, no, Medusa's eyes couldn't possibly be as cruel. Hers spared no one, but his eyes spared him of any other glance that day. And he hated having escaped their grasp.

However, that was years ago, enough for him to laugh at his younger and naïve self. If he only knew how close to those eyes he'd get, he probably would've realized that he never really got out of that grasp at all, but rather, he'd fallen into it willingly, little by little.

~ one ~

_There's a little secret behind that book, did you know?_

The first time they'd ever talked, Taehyun sat in the back of the school library, between two huge bookshelves that had their wood painted in a comforting dark blue. 

He wouldn't describe himself as an introvert of any sort. He enjoyed being around people at all times; it boosted his energies and sometimes ranting to someone simply organized his thoughts. 

Today wasn't the usual day, though. His mother woke up in an awful mood that ended up being infectious. That awful mood and that annoyed curled lips his mother wore that morning transferred to him in the blink of an eye. 

So, at lunch break, he ate his food in this deserted corner, sat with his knees close to his chest, even ending up reading a random novel he found on the shelf right beside him.

The book was some random Korean legend, one of those he would have to study soon enough. 

It sucked him in, somehow. 

There were love stories as tragic as one can think, but he liked them. Not everyone can have a happy ending.

"What got you so interested?" Taehyun's big and curious eyes looked up from the book, their gaze falling to a white pair of generic sneakers right in front of his black converse shoes. 

The other boy sat down in front of him, on the floor. His legs were crossed but his knees high enough for him to hug loosely. 

Taehyun knew his face, he knew his _eyes_. He's met them barely two weeks before.

Beomgyu had short bangs at the time. His hair was his natural black, which in Taehyun's opinion, made him look soft in a way he doubted was intentional.

"It's just some random stories," replied Taehyun then. 

"Are they that interesting? You've been reading for a good twenty minutes." 

"I guess. I like reading."

"I see. I'm not much of a reader."

"That's fair."

Beomgyu smiled, then extended his right hand to Taehyun and said: "I'm Beomgyu."

"Taehyun."

Beomgyu's hold was determined and confident in a way Taehyun couldn't understand. How are fifteen years old confident anyway? 

"Beomgyu sunbae, why is a guy as popular as you in a library at lunch break?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing, Taehyun."

"Touché."

It was comfortable and quiet, an unspoken understanding floated between them.

Beomgyu was playing with his phone, while Taehyun kept reading his book, shooting curious stares at the other from time to time. 

When the bell rang, Beomgyu was the first to get up, then extending a hand to the younger. "We should get to class now."

Taehyun nodded and accepted the help gladly.

That day, remembered Taehyun, was the start of something he could never describe out loud. The first of many hours spent between the historical and mythology section of that library.

Day after day the distance would reduce: at first in front of each other, eye to eye, at arm's length. Close enough to be friendly, far enough not to give anything away, then after a couple of months, their shoes would be sufficiently close to touch.

"How can you find so many books to read?" asked Beomgyu, with his eyebrows high and an amused smirk.

"How do you find so many questions to ask?" Taehyun countered.

They both giggled at that.

"No, but for real. I am getting curious." Beomgyu was still smiling at him.

"I just read the synopsis and if it’s interesting, I read it." Taehyun shrugged.

"Mind reading me something sometimes?" 

Beomgyu had now rested his left elbow on his knee and his hand cupped his cheek. 

There was something so boyish about him that day. Maybe it was how the light reflected in his big brown eyes, to then fall upon his young yet harmonious features. His jawline was getting sharper, and his nose asserting its space on his face more and more. In just a couple of years, all his baby fat would disappear and Taehyun already knew Beomgyu would bloom as one of the prettiest flowers.

"Eventually, I guess I will."

~~

On the day Beomgyu graduated from high school, Taehyun sulked. The other boy was one year older, Taehyun was well aware that would happen someday. 

His usually talkative manners disappeared that day and he began to avoid his friends, Beomgyu included. Actually, he avoided especially Beomgyu. 

Taehyun couldn't handle it, that flourishing face, that soft gaze, and that boyish laugh of his. 

So he just hid, in the spot he grew accustomed to being for two, in that library, between the mythology and history section of it. 

For the first time, he skipped class. On that day, he had barely two classes in the morning. The rest of the school hours were dedicated to the graduating ceremony.

While he sat there on that floor, in that corner, he hugged his knees tighter and kept his eyes down, probably trying to bask in therapeutic loneliness he didn't plan.

"I knew you were gonna be here."

Beomgyu, on the other hand, wasn't one to ignore any of his friends, no matter what. In a sense, Taehyun knew he was gonna search for him, there was no way he would graduate without finding the younger boy.

"Why are you here?" Even if he asked, Taehyun knew. Of course, he knew. He just wanted to hear him say it.

Beomgyu smirked. "You see, this friend of mine is running away from me, and I thought you could help me figure out why," as he spoke, Beomgyu began to sit, but for the first time it wasn't in front of the other, "could you scoot over?" 

Taehyun did, looking at the elder with wide eyes, confused by the other's action. 

"What?" giggled Beomgyu, "can't I sit beside you?"

"I guess," shrugged Taehyun, turning his eyes to the right, where Beomgyu could not see him. 

The two boys were pressed against each other, Taehyun noticed Beomgyu was warm, even in that cold room.

"So, why are you running away?"

"I'm not."

"Hyun, you're not even looking at me." A chuckle escaped from Beomgyu's lips, melting a bit of that sadness Taehyun couldn't shake away. "Come on. I'm graduating today."

"I know."

"Then are you really gonna be mad at me on my graduation day?"

Taehyun turned around, frowning. A pout was set on Beomgyu's lips. "Why do you think I'm mad at you?"

"I don't know. You've been avoiding me the whole morning."

"I'm not mad at you."

"Then what is it?"

Taehyun bit his lips, trying to find words that could explain how he felt, but truth be told, Taehyun did not know how he felt. Rather, all he knew was that he didn't want Beomgyu to graduate. 

He opted for the information he knew: "You're graduating."

"Yes, I am," smiled Beomgyu.

"I don't like that."

"Why?" Beomgyu sounded surprised.

"I… I guess I'll miss you."

Beomgyu stood up, then. For a second Taehyun panicked. He shouldn't have been so blunt, they've been friends for a while, sure, but it's not like Beomgyu was gonna move away from Seoul. They'd still live in the same city, but then again, Seoul is big, and Taehyun will still going to be a simple high schooler for the following year.

"You know the book you used to read a few months ago? The one with the pink cover?" asked the older while sitting back down, beside the other, said book in hand.

"What about it?"

"There's a little secret behind that book, did you know?" he replied. "Here, look." Beomgyu opened it to the last page, showing the hardcover's inside.

"I don't see anything." said the younger, brows furrowed and seeking eyes.

"It's on the inside corner, down. There's a little date written over there. Do you see it? My friend told me it is the anniversary of a couple in our school." 

"Why would they do that?" laughed Taehyun.

"I don't know, but why don't we put today's date on one of the books? I'm gonna choose it, so every time you read it, you'll miss me a little less." Beomgyu's smile was bright and so pretty while he spoke, adjusting Taehyun's mood.

"Couldn't we just keep in contact?" teased the younger, then.

"Sure, we're gonna do that too. We'll see each other any day we can, that's a given."

_That's a given._

As Beomgyu enthusiastically searched for a good book to give Taehyun, the other simply looked at him fondly, his heart lighter with happiness.

~ two ~

_Cupid really should learn to mind his own business_

When Beomgyu enrolled in university, Taehyun was there with him. 

It was a very hot spring day. The Han River was quite the view at that time, with the sun shining high and people having picnics all around.

The two boys sat on a bench, the air around it cooler thanks to the big tree offering a nice shadow over it. They got there a few minutes before, Taehyun and Beomgyu wearing some gym shorts and t-shirts, the older had dyed his hair the day before with Taehyun's help. He was sporting a light brown on his head.

Taehyun slept at Beomgyu's place that night.

In the morning they woke up and quickly ate their breakfast to then go to the Han River early enough, Beomgyu had brought his laptop with him. It was now laying on Taehyun's lap, even if it was the other's idea to send the document outside. 

"Why are you so nervous?" asked Taehyun. 

Beomgyu sat beside him, face buried in his neck to avoid looking at the screen. 

Taehyun hated himself at times like this. He hated his sweaty palms, his pink ears, and his exhilarating irrational expectations.

The proximity was making the younger dizzy, while the now brown-haired boy's puffs of air were tickling his neck, leaving the other to catch his breath.

But Taehyun's little shivers were his own secret to hide.

"Because I'm worried they won't accept me." huffed Beomgyu.

"Hyung, you're already accepted."

"What if they change their mind?"

Taehyun tried his best not to tease him, he truly did, but this time he couldn't hold a chuckle in.

"Hyunnie, you're mean," Beomgyu's whimper was breathy against his skin. 

It was warm that day, Beomgyu was curled up against his side. However sweaty he got, he never pushed him away, even after he sent the mail. Beomgyu didn't plan to move and Taehyun didn't plan on pushing him away.

He was dizzy and he hated it. He hated how much he liked it.

~~

Beomgyu moved out of his parents' house. Although Taehyun would miss the way Beomgyu's mom would spoil him anytime he stepped into their place, he couldn't be sad because Beomgyu's dorms were five minutes away from his home, and fifteen minutes away from his school. 

It was a Friday evening when Taehyun dropped by to help him pack. At first, they had laid on the older's bed, wanting to waste a bit of time. 

Beomgyu had a nice room, his bed was big enough for two, and its walls were tastefully decorated with posters hung up here and there, almost scattered around with no criteria whatsoever. But, Taehyun knew Beomgyu enough to understand that all he saw was intentional. From the random posters to the mismatched green and pink mats. That day, though, the room Taehyun grew familiar with wasn't filled with many of Beomgyu's possessions, but rather with half-empty and half-full boxes.

"Hyunnie?"

Taehyun hummed.

"I think I like someone."

It didn't surprise the younger boy. Not in the slightest. Beomgyu knew many people, chatted with anyone he could. It was just a matter of time before he found someone to like.

So he collected himself, shunned his sadness aside, and asked: "What's she like?" 

He prepared himself to have a description of one of those gorgeous girls he saw in school. One of those that probably confessed to him on Valentine's Day. Or maybe one of those nice girls you'd meet casually on the streets.

Yet, nothing came for a while. Their silence was covered only by some background noise from the city below the window. 

"It's a boy." Beomgyu's voice was trembling, barely there. A shaky whisper, wet with the risk of tears.

"He's lucky." Taehyun simply replied.

A breath: "You think so?"

"I know he is. You're one of the most genuine people I know, hyung." 

"Thank you. It means a lot."

"No need to thank me."

Neither of them was talking about the compliment, but it was obvious enough to both. 

They started to pack not long after. Taehyun found out things about his friend he wasn't aware of. Like how he used to dress in all black in middle school, or how he used to draw as a child, or even that he apparently liked camping and sleeping outside on summer nights. Little things.

"I can't believe you kept all your drawings." chuckled the younger.

"That's my mother! I would've thrown them away, but she wouldn't let me." 

"I agree with her. It's cute."

"But I'm cuter, right?" Beomgyu said, flapping his eyelashes. He looked incredibly goofy, with one of those ugly Christmas sweaters in his hands, half-folded and poorly kept. 

They giggled, obviously amused by each other's antics. 

Taehyun gazed at him, smirking. "You wish," he said, which earned him a pillow thrown at his face. 

Taehyun's eyes lingered on the older, taking in everything he could. 

One breath in.

"Beomgyu hyung?"

One breath out.

"Yeah?"

One last breath in and: "I never told this to anyone, but I'm pretty sure I'm gay."

One last breath out.

Beomgyu's eyes met his and time stopped for a second, he felt petrified again. His eyes were back to be a casualty of Medusa, swimming in those dark orbits.

Beomgyu did not speak, he didn't need to. He just smiled brightly at him, so big and so sincere.

The sun seemed a little warmer after that.

~~

Beomgyu had a roommate, even if the dorm room was barely big enough to accommodate two people. It was nicely kept, he had to admit. 

The first time he visited, the door was opened by the boy who later on introduced himself as Soobin.

And Soobin was nice, maybe a bit too tall and clumsy, but he was nice. He might have been taller than half of the people in Seoul alone, however, Taehyun didn't mind him.

He was a good friend and an even better roommate to Beomgyu. That was enough.

The three of them often found each other in the little room, eating ramen, or watching a random movie after a heavy study session. Taehyun always let Beomgyu tutor him, even if he rarely needed help. Not that he'd tell him, but when Beomgyu helped him out with his homework he got softer, closer. He knew it was not intentional, but when the older's breaths hit his neck, Beomgyu was more of a distraction than a helping hand. 

Taehyun would never tell him, though.

Now he finally had only three months left of high school. The finals approached as a threatening gloom over him, but he didn't mind them. He wasn't one to be scared of exams. He knew he would pass them.

All he felt was frustration and impatience. He wanted to be out of there, to stop being Beomgyu's high school dongsaeng that seemed to follow him like a puppy.

"I don't know who told you that, but Beomgyu is definitely the one following you around like an overgrown dog," said Soobin to him once. 

The three of them were eating out for a change, celebrating Beomgyu's success at midterms. 

Taehyun had gone in front of the University gates as soon as he had gotten the text from the older, still in his school uniform.

Once he spotted Beomgyu he ran over to him and told him: "Lunch on me! Call Soobin, we'll celebrate with meat!"

"Ya! I'm still your hyung, you know."

"I don't care. Let's go." Taehyun's smile didn't falter.

Eventually, they got into the restaurant and ordered their meat. While waiting, Beomgyu stood up and went to the bathroom to inform his mom. Taehyun tried to ignore the pride he felt knowing he was the first one the older called.

"Anyway, even if you were his adored high school friend, why is that an issue?" Soobin asked while slurping his soda.

"I just wanna be close to him again," Taehyun mumbled.

Soobin laughed loudly, ruffling his hair. "Tyun, no one is closer than you two. If he had to choose between you and anything else, it'd be you, no doubt."

Taehyun's ears got red, but he smiled satisfied nonetheless.

~~

Taehyun wondered if graduating from high school should feel this freeing, or if he was simply overexcited. Everyone was there to congratulate him, both his sisters, his parents, and grandparents.

Most importantly, the first one to greet him at the school gates was Beomgyu, hair now back to black, although curly, and a big bouquet of his favorite flowers: orange roses and sunflowers.

"Congratulations! In three months you'll officially be a university student," said Beomgyu to him, while handing him the bouquet. Taehyun accepted it gracefully, whispered a _thank you,_ and grinned at him.

As the older boy teased him about being all grown up Taehyun felt warm, even if the air was cold and sharp. 

"Congrats again, young man."

"Thank you, hyung."

"Come on," Beomgyu spoke loudly, taking Taehyun's hand in his, "let's meet with the others."

Everyone around him was showering him with affection, his classmates and him were joking here and there about some of the funny moments they had lived during the last year together. 

Taehyun had taken a lot of pictures, with a lot of people but his favorite was undoubtedly the Polaroid he and Beomgyu took secretly in the library, hidden away from anyone else, munching on some candies the other boy hid in his coat.

Taehyun wasn't looking at the camera, and neither was Beomgyu, they simply made funny faces at each other, and when the photo developed on Beomgyu's palm they shared mutual understanding. Taehyun was the one to keep it. 

And if they ended up stealing the book they kept as a token of their promise last year, no one had to know.

~~

Taehyun's birthday that year came faster than expected and to celebrate, his mother demanded her son to invite Beomgyu over for a sleepover. Taehyun didn't resist much, to be fair.

And Beomgyu arrived early in the morning, loud and happy, as he usually was. He held three plastic bags and one wrapped gift in his arms.

"Okay, the gift is obviously for you, Hyunnie. In the bags, I have some take out, a box of pastries, and a cheesecake. Of course, the cheesecake is your favorite." Beomgyu spoke fast, running to the kitchen and leaving the bags on its island.

When he finally turned to Taehyun, he held his arms wide open, and a striking grin plastered on his lips. "Come on, Hyunnie! Hug me!"

And Taehyun didn't hesitate. He threw himself into the hug, aware of how warm and familiar it would've felt. If something could be softer than Beomgyu, it was his hugs. 

"Happy birthday," muttered Beomgyu softly.

The older boy had worn one of those fuzzy hoodies Taehyun liked so much. 

"You look like a bear today," the younger said, words muffled into the hug.

"You love it when I do, I figured it could be one of your birthday gifts."

They both laughed together, refusing to let go of each other. Taehyun had his head nuzzled into Beomgyu's shoulder. He liked to think they fitted like puzzle pieces.

Soobin came in later that day, around 6 pm. It wasn't a big party, Taehyun knew. However, that was the best day he ever had until then. 

Only sharing movies, video games, and junk food with his two best friends was enough to let him feel satisfied. 

Also, Beomgyu never failed to pay him extra attention every year on his birthday. When that night they laid in Taehyun's bed after Soobin had long gone, the younger felt happy. He had Beomgyu close, closer than he ever was during the day.

"Hyun, you're staring." 

"I know," Taehyun replied, the moon making him bolder.

"Need anything?"

No, Taehyun didn't need anything. He had it all, there, with him. All he needed to be at peace was under the blankets with him. Eventually, after a long silence, he just shook his head as an answer.

"We should sleep." Taehyun was aware neither of them was going to sleep anytime soon, however, he did not want to stop talking to Beomgyu. He looked too good with the soft yellow light of his bedside table hitting his face. 

He was right, four years before. Beomgyu blossomed into one of the prettiest flowers.

"Your huge eyes are getting wider. What are they searching for on my face?" His chuckle was as soft as cotton.

"You just- you changed a lot."

"You did too." 

They smiled softly at each other, breathing getting heavier. 

The night seemed calm, like any other they spent together until something unlocked. 

"You see, now your nose is high and big, your jaw is more pronounced. I also think your eyes got bigger and prettier too. They're my favorite part of your face. Your lips are a close second, though. They're pink and plump enough," whispered Beomgyu, barely giving each sentence a break. Maybe it was because of Beomgyu's hand that started to run over Taehyun's face gently, as to make a mold of it.

Or maybe it was because of Beomgyu's words, each one of them praising Taehyun's growth, but that night something shifted.

In the end, Beomgyu's thumb found its place on Taehyun's lower lip caressing it, gentle and fond.

The other boy's eyes were dark, deep, and expressive. Taehyun felt like going to stone again, breathing became harder than it should be, air caught in his throat. His Medusa was helped by Cupid that night, who shot his arrow right through Taehyun.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Beomgyu softly.

"That cupid really should learn to mind his own business." 

Beomgyu laughed. "I guess you're right."

Taehyun should've been more scared that night. 

However, he couldn't help but be thankful to have fallen for someone as sincere as his best friend. Beomgyu was the only boy that Taehyun would like to get heartbroken by.

~three~

_It's as if I couldn't play my guitar anymore_

Lots of time had passed since the striking realization that Taehyun had actually fallen for Beomgyu. It had been a crush for long enough, he guessed. It was bound to happen eventually.

Nothing much changed between the two of them, they still were the best friends they always had been.

They were friends, even if sometimes seemed closer than two best friends should be. People on campus knew of this. They were called 'childhood friends', closer than anyone. Taehyun was his sidekick for a while in the hallways, too shy to make friends that fast. The younger passed his first semester following Soobin and Beomgyu around, finding their company both enjoyable and comfortable.

Things took a turn when a brown-haired, tall, and friendly guy introduced himself. His name was Hueningkai, he shared the same courses as Taehyun, which made their bonding easier. They went to the local cafè to study together more often than not, managing to help each other out as much as possible.

Hueningkai became a close friend in just a couple of weeks.

Today Hueningkai and Taehyun were at their usual cafè with books and notes scattered all around their table. Taehyun still had some of his chocolate cake left to the side, while his empty almond milkshake glass stood in front of him.

Beomgyu was in class right now, but he kept spamming Taehyun with funny pics and random emojis out of boredom, making his phone ring every second. 

"Sorry Kai, I'll put my phone on mute. It must be annoying." 

"Oh no," began the other, "it's fine. I don't mind it. Is it your girlfriend?"

Taehyun barely held in a laugh. "No, it's Beomgyu hyung."

"Wait! You are Choi Beomgyu's childhood friend?" screeched the taller. 

However, Taehyun did not budge, he was used to it. For everyone else, Choi Beomgyu was this unreachable guy: tall, handsome, mysterious, friendly but distant.

At first, it was weird. 

The guy everyone admired and the most popular boy on campus was nothing more than a boy who liked camping but was terrified of bugs. It took a while to get used to it, but now Taehyun couldn't say he didn't like it. If people thought of Beomgyu as intimidating, that meant they probably would not get too much into their business. 

"If you consider fifteen years old childhood, yeah, sure," Taehyun replied bitterly.

He didn't know why, but the term 'childhood friends' just didn't sit right with him. He and Beomgyu were close friends, but not from childhood. He liked to think the relationship the two of them shared couldn't be identified from the outside. It was theirs and theirs alone.

"You guys seem so close. Is he as chatty as people around campus say?" Hueningkai asked again.

"Very. I'd say he'd be able to make dead people talk to him." Taehyun giggled, remembering the first time he'd said this to Beomgyu, who ended up pouting for twenty minutes straight.

"You seem very fond of him." 

"I am."

"I'm sure he is too then."

'Yeah, but I'd say our affection is a bit different. I'm his dongsaeng after all." The words' taste was bitter in his mouth, but that was the truth. He figured sometimes the reality could not be as sweet as candies.

~~

Taehyun got to university early that day, hoping to find a seat in the library to study for his upcoming quiz. 

His department was one of the smallest in the whole structure since not many dared to take chemistry as a major. He loved it, though. He was close to the art department, where Soobin and Beomgyu would meet him for lunch. The cafeteria there offered the best food on campus, more often than not Hueningkai would come with him and the other two now. They made a good group, he'd say.

As he approached the entrance of his building, he felt an insistent buzz in the back pocket of his black jeans. 

"Mom?" he answered.

"Kiddo! Hi! I just wanted to tell you your sister's coming home tomorrow. Mind having lunch with us or are you busy with classes?" His mom sounded excited. Miso, his sister, lived on the other side of the country because of her job, making it hard for her to go back home. 

"I should be free." 

"Great! You can invite Gyu too. I miss him!"

Taehyun flushed slightly but told his mother he would ask before ending the call.

As he approached his locker, his eyes noticed that Beomgyu was standing in front of it, tall, and handsome as usual. The yellow and black flannel shirt he decided to wear looked incredible paired with his leather jacket and washed blue jeans. 

He wasn't surprised to find the older there, it was a common occurrence for him to stand in front of the younger's locker, waiting for him. It was no different, except for the pretty girl he was talking to. 

Usually, he would be alone, playing with his phone or chatting with Soobin on kakaotalk. 

That day he found another way to occupy his time. 

"Ma! Taehyun-ah!" Beomgyu said, smiling wide at him. It was his way of greeting him, in a sense. Beomgyu had lived in Seoul for almost five years now, but he still had to get rid of his strong accent. Taehyun wouldn't forgive him if he did.

"Today your Daegu accent is stronger than usual," replied Taehyun, ignoring the girl on his left.

"Yeah, I've been speaking with my grandma on the phone," Beomgyu rushed out, "meet Eunae! She's in my art history course." 

At this point, he couldn't ignore her anymore. So he bowed, slightly.

"Nice to meet you, Taehyun-ah. I've heard a lot about you." Her voice was sweet and melodic. She seemed nice enough.

"Oh? Well, good things I hope." Taehyun dismissed. "Mind moving a little? I have to go to the library."

"Hyunnie! You're going already?" Beomgyu whined. 

"We could go together, Taehyun-ah." Eunae prompted.

"It's fine, I have to study for a quiz." After that, Taehyun simply took his book, bowed to her, waved at Beomgyu, and walked as fast as he could to get away from the two.

Taehyun never liked jealousy, it was ugly and mean. It chewed you piece by piece, from the inside out until you had nothing left. Unfortunately, he felt it often, always toward that one curly-haired boy that never failed to smile and put everyone in a good mood.

After a few days passed since he met Eunae, Beomgyu asked him to come along with them to a new park close to their campus. She was nice, sweet, and as pretty as a girl could be. With her little button nose, pearly skin, and big eyes she bewitched anyone. Except for him.

"You don't really like me, do you?" She had asked once Beomgyu left them to buy some snacks in the nearest kombini. He should've been back by now.

"Why do you ask?" Taehyun asked, cold and detached.

"I just wonder, is it because of Beomgyu?"

"I'm not jealous if that's what you're insinuating."

"I never said you were." The smile she showed him was knowing and comforting at the same time.

"I just- You do seem nice," he sighed.

"But?"

"But I can't seem to enjoy being around you."

She hummed but didn't say anything else.

After that day at the park, she never showed up in front of his locker ever again.

~~

Taehyun couldn't sleep. It was now three in the morning, yet sleep wouldn't come to him, a child of Morpheus' forgotten in the darkest of the nights. 

Beomgyu's words kept on echoing inside his head, over and over again, like a broken disk.

"Eunae asked me out." Beomgyu had said while laying on the small bed in Taehyun's room.

Taehyun flinched, his hands trembled and for a second his brain stopped working on his limbs, making his legs wobbly and his arms heavy. While the notes he held to his chest fell on his feet, the younger felt a single tear leave his eye. He was thankful to be turned back from Beomgyu, being able to quickly dry his cheek.

He gathered his voice, just as he was gathering the paper on the floor. "Did you accept?"

Beomgyu shifted.

"I told her I'd think about it. What do you think I should do?"

Taehyun felt like going through the flames of hell, but he had to be supportive of his _friend_ , his _best friend_. He should be okay, yet his chest ached and breathing became hard.

However, rationality had to win once again, so he swallowed the tears and the knot in his throat and began to speak. "I think," his voice broke. After clearing his throat he tried again. "I think you should say yes if you want to."

He heard Beomgyu hum behind him. "Even if I like someone else?"

Finally, Taehyun turned around, his brown hair covering his wet eyes. "Who is it?"

"Still the same boy of two years ago."

"You still see him?" A genuine surprise could be heard in the younger's voice.

For the first time since meeting Beomgyu, Taehyun saw a bitter smile on his heart-shaped lips. "Almost every day. He- well, I-" he huffed frustrated, "at this point I doubt he feels anything for me. He's like the sun, you know? He's completely unaware I've been orbiting around him. He's so pretty too, truly a star. I think I love him at this point. He's the only one I've been into since the beginning of high school, yet it seems that I'm only bound to love him from afar."

He sighed and then continued: "He's such a big fan of mythology, wester or easter, it doesn't matter. Which is kinda comical, because he's so rational. Too much sometimes-"

"He's fucking stupid," Taehyun growled, interrupting Beomgyu, who then smiled at him fondly, yet a shade of sadness took its place behind his lips.

Taehyun was crying now. How could Beomgyu love someone so much, and still not be loved back? He wished he could be the one Beomgyu would look at like that, he would give him the moon if he only asked.

Beomgyu didn't comment on his best friend's tears, too busy drying his own.

"That's the worst part. He's the smartest person I know."

"You should stop seeing him," Taehyun said angrily. Beomgyu only laughed sourly.

"Hyunnie, not seeing him it's as if I couldn't play my guitar anymore. It would kill me."

"You love him that much?"

"Never stopped."

And the smile that Beomgyu showed him then was the brightest he'd ever seen. 

The sun was down at this point, but Taehyun could swear he had its warmth in his room.

Beomgyu wasn't there now, though, leaving Taehyun stuck in the same room, with no warmth at all.

In the cold space of his bed, Taehyun started to cry. It has never felt this real. For the first time, Beomgyu gave this boy an identity of some sort. The boy was smart, rational, and passionate about something despite the clashing ideals. Beomgyu compared him to his guitar, one of the most precious possessions he had. Taehyun naively believed he occupied the biggest space in the older's heart, but he didn't.

In high school, girls would send their love letters to the older all the time, Valentine's Day being particularly hard on the younger. Though, every letter he received, the older had given right back to the girl who sent it in the first place, with an apologetic smile and a shy _I'm sorry_ from Beomgyu. Some had started to speculate about the boy having a secret girlfriend, but Taehyun knew that that wasn't the case. Beomgyu simply would never give false hopes to anyone.

Sometimes he'd said to Taehyun he should just date someone, that there was no point in keeping himself closed off like that. Those times he would quickly rethink and tell him that no, he didn't need that. He would tell him that he had all he needed with the younger by his side. Taehyun cherished those words every time, although hid his emotions behind a couple of jokes.

Taehyun now wished they were back to high school, with girls giving him letters and gifts and Beomgyu rejecting every single one of them. Back then, Taehyun would be waiting for him in the library between those two shelves that used to be their little nook away from prying eyes. When Taehyun's heart wasn't greedy, when he didn't dare ask for more, when the tip of their shoes touching and their little giggle were more than enough.

Taehyun hated himself for wanting to keep Beomgyu close to him, hated his selfish greed and Beomgyu petrifying eyes. 

He wished Medusa had turned him to stone, rather than letting him drown in those dangerous eyes.

Beomgyu's gaze when he spoke about that boy was all he needed to know. 

Humans were probably made to love, but he remembered his mother telling him to welcome grief too because it meant love was once there. 

As he laid there, open eyes and tear-stained skin, he couldn't help but think that love hurt the most when it was still present, running through one's mind. Even then, he would never give it up, because loving his best friend was the most beautiful gift life ever gave him.

The sun was rising now, but he didn't care. The only star worth waiting for was never going to rise on him, anyway.

~ four ~

_Everyone orbits around you. Even I do._

Beomgyu ended up rejecting Eunae. She took it well enough, and the only thing she said to him was: "I knew I had no competition against him, anyway."

Everyone seemed to know who this boy was, well, everyone except for Taehyun. It frustrated him, but on another note, it was for the best. He would probably end up doing something stupid if he could attach a face to the guy.

He began to avoid his best friend as well as he could, needing some space to heal and keep his overflowing feelings at bay. 

It wasn't long before Soobin called him, asking him to meet up in their room. The older wasn't one to pry, he would just let you know he would listen. 

Taehyun thought about the offer for a couple of minutes, before getting his backpack and rushing outside. 

At the moment, Beomgyu was out of the dorms. Classes for him lasted until late evening on Thursdays, which allowed Taehyun to talk and vent as freely as he could.

At first, Taehyun didn't speak. He just greeted the older, sat on one of the beds, and simply studied for a while.

He never told anyone else about his sexuality after Beomgyu, courage coming short. However, he knew Soobin was safe. Beomgyu had already come out to him as bisexual some months ago. The older reacted well, simply hugging the other and offering him half of his ice cream.

"Soobin hyung?" His voice was small, trembling.

"What is it?" asked the older, softly as ever.

"I was wondering if you knew something about the person Beomgyu likes," Taehyun asked, fidgeting in his seat on the bed.

"I know a lot about him."

"Oh. Do you happen to know who that is?"

"I do, but I won't tell you. If Beomgyu wanted to, he would've by now."

And for a while, the small room fell silent. Soobin kept on studying on his desk and Taehyun simply gave up on his homework.

"Hyung?"

"Mh?"

"What if I liked Beomgyu?"

Soobin turned around from his desk to face the other boy, his smile warm and understanding.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised," replied Soobin.

Taehyun nodded, but his voice was stuck in his throat."What should I do?" 

Without noticing, his big and round eyes got sadder and wetter. The dam he built around his feelings broke in minutes.

"It's been five years and I tried, hyung. I really tried to stop. But I can't, I fell in love with him, and he-" hiccups after hiccup, tears started to fall down onto Soobin's blanket. He did not notice how much his eyes wetted before, and now, all of a sudden, he was sobbing on Soobin's shoulder.

"Taehyun, you're gonna be okay."

He was scared. There was so much he didn't say yet, so much he needed to share. He thought back at Beomgyu in his school uniform, in the cafeteria. Back to the pink book he kept with him with care and the days at the Han river. He thought about the polaroid they took on his graduation day. 

"Taehyunie, you're both gonna be okay. He misses you." Soobin whispered in his hair.

"I love him so much. I'm gonna lose him, hyung. He's slipping away from me and I don't know how to stop it."

The older kept rocking him in his arms until he fell into a deep slumber.

That night, he dreamt of the sun and men made of stone.

~~

The next morning came fast. Taehyun's body felt heavier than usual, but he didn't dare open his eyes yet. He didn't have the strength to wake up and face Soobin after the mess that happened the night before.

He'd finally opened up, yet he didn't feel better, but rather, worn out like Beomgyu's poorly kept Christmas sweater. 

He couldn't help but shift a little, groaning loudly. The light coming out from the window was quite annoying, making it difficult to fall back asleep. 

He tried to turn his back from the light source, then, but there was a weight on his chest and left shoulder, and he honestly didn't know what that could be.

"Hyunnie, stop moving around. Let's sleep some more." Taehyun knew that voice, deep, heavy with sleep. He's heard it many times throughout the years.

As soon as opened his eyes, he was met with a head full of black curls right under his chin. His heart swelled at the sight. Beomgyu had sneaked in, under the duvets and slept curled up to his side. The realization made him sit up abruptly, making the boy on him move to his side.

"I have to go," he spoke hurriedly. He was scared that Beomgyu could read right through him and leave him without any second thought.

Friends shouldn't fall in love with each other, that's not how things are meant to go.

"Hyunnie, please stay," Beomgyu spoke with a weak tone, almost resigned. There were tears in his eyes, now that Taehyun looked at them. He wanted to dry them all, kiss them away, but he had no right to do so. The black ocean that was Beomgyu's irises wasn't his to swim in.

"I can't, hyung."

"Why? I miss you." It was simple. _Stay, because I've missed you_. It was a simple and vulnerable statement to make.

And maybe it was the vulnerability the older showed to him that convinced him, or maybe it was his heart that didn't want to part from the other just yet. Whatever it was, all it took was one look at each other and Taehyun laid back down, letting the older cuddle up to him again.

"Soobin hyung told me you cried yesterday. Don't worry, he didn't tell me why." Beomgyu's words were soft and his voice rough and scratched by his sleep.

"I did cry," Taehyun confessed. 

"You feel better?"

Taehyun huffed at the absurdity of it all. He had avoided the older for a week straight and yet, here he was, worrying about him. They had just woken up, but Beomgyu was there to soothe his worries so early in the morning.

"I don't know. I don't think it'll ever get better."

There was a pause between them, both collecting their thoughts. The first one to break the silence was Beomgyu. "Hyun, I envy you."

"Why would you ever envy me?"

"How could I not? You're smart, popular, and handsome. Sometimes I wonder why you even look at me." 

Taehyun stared at him in shock.

Beomgyu was the boy who could have anyone he wished at his feet. Beomgyu was a caring boy, the kind of boy you'd wish to keep beside you any time, the kind of boy that didn't pry on your sadness but simply soothed it with hugs and cuddles. He never asked for anything and understood you without question. A boy like him should never envy anyone.

"Are you kidding?" began whispering Taehyun, "you're the one to envy. You're like the sun. You're bright, you're warm. You make people feel at home and make animals feel secure. You're just like the sun. Everyone orbits around you. _Even I do._ " The last sentence was murmured, Taehyun hoped it would get lost in the morning dusk, but there was nothing of him Beomgyu didn't catch. Whether it was a new haircut or the smallest of movements, Beomgyu always noticed.

"I don't think you're the kind of person to orbit around anyone, Hyunnie."

"Then you don't know me."

"I wish I did, then," Beomgyu's fingers were now playing with the folds of the younger's shirt, "I wish I knew you better. I wish I knew if you ever got a cast as a child, or if you ever crushed on someone in elementary school. I wish I had met you earlier, so I could know every detail. But I didn't. I wasn't that lucky."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

The black-haired boy stared at him, with an expression that could only be defined as stubborn. "Don't push me away. I hate it when you do."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Just don't do it again"

They didn't speak for what felt like infinity, they just laid there, on the bed basking into each other's little hugs and caresses.

"Hyung?" muttered Taehyun.

The older hummed.

"You're the only one that knows me in this world."

"I wish it was true. But there's so much I don't know." The curly-haired boy said, brows furrowed and pout on his lips.

"Ask me, then and I'll tell you."

"Okay. Did you ever fall in love?"

"I did."

"What's your favorite smell?"

"Lavender."

"Why are you sad?"

Taehyun hesitated, wondering if lying was a good solution right now. However, he took a deep breath, swallowing his tears once again. "I fell in love with someone." It came out subtle, thinner than a whisper.

For a second he thought the other didn't hear.

"He's lucky," Beomgyu replied in the end.

"Why?" asked Taehyun.

"Because you're hard to convince, I guess. Confess to him, he'll surely be over the moon." The chuckle that Beomgyu let out wasn't the one Taehyun was used to. This one was spent, cold.

"I think I fell in love with the only boy that would never like me back."

"Then fuck him. He's not worth your time or tears."

Taehyun looked down at his best friend and all he could think about was how every single tear he had shed the night before was worth the hug he was now imprisoned in. 

"I don't know about-" 

He couldn't finish his sentence, he couldn't even breathe anymore because Beomgyu had placed his soft lips against the corner of his mouth.

He turned to look at the older with wide eyes and open mouth, sure it was just a dream. However Beomgyu was not looking back at him, he was staring at his lips with an intensity that made him feel small in comparison.

"Taehyun," murmured Beomgyu, "please, let me kiss you at least once." His voice was broken, unstable, and desperate. As if it was something that he had bottled up for too long, just like Taehyun.

Taehyun registered the other's words a couple of seconds later, letting himself hope for once. Perhaps, he had a chance. 

"You can kiss me as many times as you want," he'd replied, meaning every single word. It didn't matter if Beomgyu would only kiss him once, or if he didn't feel the same way as he did. 

Unexpectedly, Beomgyu didn't kiss him right away, at first he looked into the younger's eyes as if to communicate with him, as if to find a confirmation, and when he did, he pressed his lips to Taehyun's own.

The kiss was awkward at first, the boys too clumsy and inexperienced to make it a kiss out of a movie. However, Beomgyu tasted faintly of strawberry ice cream and Taehyun loved it, so he moved, more and more. He was like a starved child, biting, licking, and pressing their lips hard against each other, hopeful it would communicate all he had felt through the years. 

Beomgyu's hands found their place at the back of the younger's neck, pushing the younger closer than he already was. Taehyun's hands could be found on the other's waist instead as if to make sure he wouldn't run away.

"Hyunnie," mumbled Beomgyu against his lips, "I love you.", 

Taehyun only kissed him harder after that.

~ five ~

_As long as you're the one orbiting with me_

Thankfully, Soobin was going to be in class for another couple of hours, leaving the newfound love birds some time to talk things through.

They didn't talk right away, though. Before the big talk, they kissed a bit more under the duvets. Each kiss was getting bolder and softer, less desperate, and more loving. Beomgyu couldn't keep his kisses to himself now, pecking the other even while brushing their teeth. Taehyun simply giggled, letting the older do whatever he wanted. The warmth of Beomgyu's lips felt surreal against his own. It was addicting.

They were now laying once again in that small bed. Taehyun had his face buried in Beomgyu's shoulder, peppering little kisses all over his neck. The older chuckled from time to time whenever Taehyun got close to an especially ticklish area. It was bliss, with the soft morning light penetrating in between the curtains. Beomgyu looked gorgeous that morning, with messy hair and wrinkled pajamas.

"Hyung, I love you," Taehyun confessed, voice muffled inside the elder's skin.

"For how long?"

"I don't know. Since I met you?"

Beomgyu huffed a laugh. "You know," he paused, "I've liked you even before meeting you in that library."

Taehyun turned around to stare at the other's flushed cheeks and sincere eyes with shock. "What?"

"Yeah. You always looked so nice and handsome. I wanted to get to know you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. Why didn't you tell me, too?" There was a sort of challenge in Beomgyu's expression, well aware the younger wouldn't answer.

"Hyunnie?" called the older.

"Yes?"

"Be my boyfriend?" 

Taehyun giggled happily, starting at Beomgyu's flustered face with a sense of belonging and joy. He nodded slightly as his reply.

"No, Hyunnie, let me hear it."

"I'll be your boyfriend."

The laugh of relief Beomgyu let out was now Taehyun's favorite sound. He promised himself he would always keep that laughter alive.

"You told me I'm like the sun before," said Beomgyu. 

"I did. Shining bright and sweet as a star."

"I never cared for being a star, though." Beomgyu's tone was playful, his signature little mischievous smirk taking a place on his lips.

"Why?" whispered the younger.

"Well, I don't care about having a bunch of people orbiting around me. I'd be fine being a satellite as long as you're the one orbiting with me." 

Taehyun didn't reply to that. He only kissed him, hoping that would be enough to let Beomgyu know how much that meant to him. And it was. Whatever Taehyun gave Beomgyu, it would be enough.

That day they wrote another date on the back of that pink book, a token for another promise.

" _201207:_

_to my medusa, I'm fine being petrified by you._

_to my star, please, never stop orbiting beside me."_

When Taehyun met Beomgyu at the school's canteen for the first time, he didn't give him too much thought, but fate had moved in strange ways. And Taehyun had never been happier in his life, inside Beomgyu's arms, while reading him the myth of Medusa.

~ bonus: six ~

_Those sleeves are a bit too long_

That fateful morning, when Soobin got back home from class, he'd found the two of them curled up in the blankets giggling and stealing kisses from one another. He wasn't surprised at all, all he'd said was: "You guys look great together. Just please don't let me be a third wheel."

After a bunch of months into their relationship, Taehyun started to steal any item of clothing from Beomgyu. They had roughly the same size since Beomgyu was only a couple of centimeters taller than him, but Taehyun would argue that those centimeters did not exist and the measurements were simply taken wrong.

However, he often found himself wearing that old fuzzy hoodie Beomgyu wore at his birthday just the year before, which for some weird reason he couldn't explain, seemed three times bigger on him than it did on Beomgyu. 

Not that he complained, but honestly it was just weird. 

While the relationship progressed, each of them found out new things about the other. Beomgyu found out that Taehyun was a bit possessive and easy to tease in that regard: whenever he found a letter or a simple gift for him beside his locker Taehyun would glare at him sternly as if to scold it and let it disappear. Needless to say, Beomgyu kissed that pout away as soon as he could.

Taehyun, on the other hand, realized Beomgyu was the kind of boyfriend that clings and always asks for attention, just like an overgrown puppy. Taehyun complied most of the time as much as he could. Weirdly enough, wearing his hoodies makes Beomgyu even clingier, and Taehyun may actually wear his favorite one on purpose.

Beomgyu also loved pet names, his favorite was 'Kyu': it never failed to turn his ears red and to make him smile.

Today they were getting ready for a date at a cute cafe that opened not long ago. Taehyun, as usual, was just looking around inside Beomgyu's closet for a nice and warm fuzzy jacket to go on top of his outfit.

"Babe, where's your brown fuzzy coat?" asked Taehyun, nose buried into his boyfriend's wardrobe.

"In Soobin's closet. Mine doesn't have much space left." Beomgyu replied while retrieving the coat from said dresser.

"Thanks."

Taehyun pecked his lips and put the coat on. It looked… _big._

"Babe, those sleeves are a bit too long. I can give you another one." Beomgyu was barely holding in a laugh. Taehyun looked so small and cuddly surrounded by all that fluff, with his hands hidden by the disproportionate sleeves.

"No, it's fine," said the younger. He could see the amused smile on his boyfriend, silently teasing him for his small frame.

Taehyun pouted.

"Okay, sorry I won't tease you." Beomgyu couldn't help but chuckle, and as he tried to kiss the other all he got was a simple peck and an amused smirk.

"You're so easy," teased Taehyun.

"Oh really? Fine. No kisses for the whole night then."

"You're not serious."

"Wanna bet?"

And they did bet, both losing it a couple of minutes later, smiling into the kisses they shared before heading out.

It was bliss, Taehyun thought, to be in love with your best friend.

_**THE END.** _

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this work you and wanna chat with me at any random given moment you can find me on twitter as @gyumdori !


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